


Between Shadow and Darkness

by L3noryt



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Empath, I'll tag as need arises, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character Death(s), Psychic Abilities, Slow Build, Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-12-20 20:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11929092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L3noryt/pseuds/L3noryt
Summary: Even though he was an empath, Levi never wanted to form a bond with a psychic. He never saw the need to have one, his self-control allowed him to deal with the emotions constantly flowing around him on his own. The raven was perfectly fine living his life, working as a detective on the Survey Corps. Unfortunately Erwin was not of the same opinion and used his new status as Commander to make mandatory for all empath over his leadership to have a bond. Thanks to this now Levi had a super powerful psychic brat as his bond partner, and apparently their linking began to attract unwanted attention.





	1. Destined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fanfiction I write about SNK also the first I'll post here in AO3 - but I'm not a novice writer, just on the site. Plus it's my first boyxboy story.  
> I want to warn you that English is not my native language so have patience with my mistakes and with the pace with which I will make updates.  
> A big thank you to The_Dame and marquessofthefallen for the support and beta-ing this story.
> 
> I do not own SNK!

 

Silver-blue orbs looked daggers in his front as he headed for the research building that belonged to Survey Corps.  He was practically a storm in human form. Everywhere he went, everyone immediately moved out of the way, no one was stupid enough to want to become the target of his anger. Levi would have mocked the situation if he had not been so angry; after all he was well aware of his _height_ , the result of his shitty childhood. Malnutrition and lack of exposure to sunlight had ruined his developing body - he was only grateful that his height had been the one to suffer the effects rather than his health. But this was never an impediment to him, on the contrary it boosted him - he always liked challenges - and his extensive record of successful missions earned him the title of _soldier's strongest_. And while everyone acknowledged his strength and ability, it still was not enough for Erwin _annoying_ Smith.

"Damn shitty eyebrows," he growled under his breath. Just thinking of the blond had his blood boiling with anger and he could not help but resent the tall man, because Erwin knew Levi's opinion on the subject, but that did not stop him from acting.

For five years Levi had managed to avoid forming a _bond_ with a psychic, and the accursed Erwin had barely assumed the post of Commander a month ago, and had already made _mandatory_ for all empaths over his command to have a psychic companion. It was very fair to say that Levi was not happy.

Knowing the damned eyebrows for so many years, he knew that one way or another, the blond had done it because of him. After all, despite the cold look and callous exterior, Levi was indeed an empath - and if that crazy woman's word was taken into account, he was the most powerful ever found. Learning to control his abilities had been a pain and taken years. All of his current self-control was the result of his iron determination and sheer stubbornness - the idea of being controlled by his own emotions was something he abhorred. As a result, there were not many who were aware of his status. Erwin had forced him into the Survey Corps when he realized the extent of Levi's power, Hanji was a sharp-eyed freak despite wearing glasses, and Mike was, well, _Mike_. Any other besides these three that knew about it was because they had seen his record. Although there have been cases of psychics and empaths being reported for centuries, they were rare even in today's society and for that reason required by law to be recorded in the government database after undergoing a series of tests to prove their abilities.

And since Levi had joined the Survey Corps all those years ago, the damn eyebrows had made his self-imposed mission to convince the raven that forming a bond was the best for his well-being. He knew that both empaths and psychics needed each other, especially the strongest ones. The waves of emotions could be overwhelming for an empath, many of them even losing their minds for being unable to deal with such ability. Psychics in turn were another complete issue, having to live with what was generally invisible to humans was overwhelming in its very essence - there were simply things no one should be forced to see. But the biggest question for Levi laid in the fact that he did _not need_ a bond to help balance himself, he was able to control his ability alone. It had been extremely difficult at first, back when he was only a child, but that had been in the past. It was annoying that his self-control was one of the reasons that caught Erwin's attention when they met, and yet the blond wanted to force him into a partnership he did not need neither wanted.

Leaving aside the shadowy thoughts surrounding his Commander of stupid eyebrows, Levi turned his focus to his next task, mentally preparing for the whirlwind that was Hanji and the mess the madwoman called a brain. But just as his feet touched the floor of the research building, it was like walking straight into a brick wall, such was the impact his mind took on the wave of emotions that struck him. As an empath, and a detective to add fuel to the fire, Levi had already encountered and dealt with practically all kinds of minds - murderous psychopaths were miserable beings who should not be considered human - but by Sina he _never_ bumped into such intense emotions to the point that the contact had felt like a physical blow. And if the throbbing in his head was in fact from an object, he would undoubtedly have a concussion at the moment. And even if that was not the case, it did not stop a headache from being made itself at home in his brain.

"And that shit day only keeps getting better," he growled in a voice tinged with annoyance and sarcasm, forcing his legs to take him the rest of the way to the crazy woman's office.

 

\------------------------------------------//------------------------------------------

 

Levi had known Hanji for the same amount of time he had been in the Survey Corps. She had forced her way into his life and refused to go out by declaring them best friends. Something that indeed the two were, even though he would rather rip off his own nails with pliers than admit it out loud. But that did not make her any less annoying, nor the way she always seemed able to perceive his presence without him even announcing himself. If Levi did not know better, he would think the woman had some kind of dark power that only worked with him. As it was he was not surprised when before reaching the door of her office, the brunette opened it pronouncing his name as if it were some kind of war cry.

"Levi!"

"Shitty glasses." It was his return to her effusive greeting.

"Levi, you finally came to visit me! Even though we work so closely, if I did not go to visit you, we would never see each other!"

"As if I would put up with your crazy ass for good will."

"Ah, ah, I know deep down you love me, and you miss me," she continued leading them into her perpetually messy office.

"Tch! This place is worse than the last time. You could at least pretend to know what organization is," he complained taking in the piles of books and file folders scattered about the room and the leftovers on her desk. Something that was probably a snack that Moblit forced her to eat sometime in the last week - if the green dots spreading over the leftover bread and tomatoes were any indication. Dirt and clutter were at least offensive to his senses, and he decided it was safer to stand by the wall next to the door than to sit somewhere and run the risk of getting contaminated with something.

"Not all of us are clean freaks like you." - She retorted completely unperturbed by his comment sitting on an unoccupied piece of her desk.

"Liking hygiene and organization does not make anyone a freak."

"No. But washing the floor of the office three times before you consider it remotely clean, yes."

"Tch! The eyebrows said to talk to you. I'm assuming he's already told you about the subject." - He decided to leave the discussion about cleanliness for another time, it was not like he was the one who had to work in that filthy office where he had no doubt there were mutant bacteria lived.

"Not Erwin? Hoh, you really are angry. Anyway, I never thought the day would come when I would see you looking for a psychic partner! This is an important event to be recorded in history!"

"The only thing that will be recorded if you do not stop the bullshit is the sole of my shoe on your butt."

"Actually, I believe you have already felt your possible partner. Considering the level of your ability it would be impossible not to feel him." It was amazing how quickly Hanji was able to go from delusional to serious in a matter of seconds.

"Yes I felt a psychic as soon as I got to the building." - As if mentioning the event was a summons his head throbbed painfully. Hanji was right, it was impossible for him to lose such intensity, besides, unlike normal people, the waves emitted by psychics were clearer even from those who were already connected.

"Heh, since the arrival?! And how did you feel?" - And there went the seriousness and habitual madness has returned to her.

"Like a fucking brick wall. Just tell me we're not talking about some Poltergeist brat," He muttered, resisting the urge to massage his temples, as experience has proven to him this would be futile in his mission to ease his headache. Maybe the raven would have to buy some medicine on the way home later.

When the subject came to empaths and psychics, the age influenced a lot in capacity, or lack thereof, to tame their skills.  And considering the whirlwind that struck his mind earlier, Levi was quite inclined to believe that his prospective bond partner was young, perhaps even younger than he would like.

"Oh, how interesting! So powerful!" - The crazy woman had the courage to clap hands in her euphoria.

"Do not even think about it, I'll not be a guinea pig in your shit experiments. Go fuck Erwin's brain for all I care. "

"You're no fun. But answering your question, Eren Jaeger turned twenty-one last March. He is, just like you, the most powerful that has ever been found among his type."

"Jaeger? Is he related to that doctor?"

"As a matter of fact he is, they are father and son. In fact, my theory is that this is why Eren is so powerful. Grisha was one of the pioneers in the study of psychics and empaths. Much of what we know today came from his research."

"And you think he used his own son as a laboratory rat?" - Levi would never be able to figure out what could lead someone to use they own offspring in such an inhumane way.

"Apparently his theories had some basis if we consider Eren as a _result_. I confess he makes a rather fascinating subject of study." - The crazy glint in her eyes left no doubt about her unhealthy interest in the brat in question.

"Shut up, shitty glasses. If your suspicions about the brat's father are correct, he's seen more than enough labs. He does not need you also poking him around like a lab rat."

"Hai, hai. It's not like I could do something without his permission, you know, the kid is of age." - She said with a bored hand wave.

"And about the brat's mother, we already know that the father was a piece of shit, but what about her?"

"She died when Eren was ten years old under mysterious circumstances, according to the records of the case. Grisha disappeared not long after that and the boy ended up going to an institution specializing in dealing with psychics." - She replied with a sigh, it was not difficult to deduce that she would have liked to have been the one to take care of the boy to be able to study him, fortunately or not, this was not the case.

"They do not seem to have done a good job teaching him how to deal with his emotions," Levi commented feeling the boy's mind pressure in his own mind. He was beginning to find it hard to ignore the throbbing in his head with the uninterrupted reminder of the other's presence, something that had not changed since the raven coming to the building.

"As Eren was too powerful they started too early to try to bond him. He has gone through several empaths over the years, even if none were compatible with him, in an attempt to lighten the weight a little on the boy's mind. No one could hold the bond with him for long. But of course we are talking about empaths with a sensory power far less than yours." Again her brown eyes glittered over him. Levi understood the thought behind Hanji's words, it was something common knowledge for those born with such skills.

There was a reason for an empath not to form a bond with another even if they could it was because they would end up neutralizing themselves. It was the kind of situation that worked with young children who were too young to understand what was happening. He did experience this from the little he remembered his mother the woman was also like him, just not so strong. Levi was, after all, a real aberration even among his type, and if his childhood had been hell, then the raven could only imagine what the brat who had spent his childhood stuck in an asylum for psychics had gone through. But between adult empaths a bond could not work, for it was like having lost one of the senses while the others fell asleep. Psychics on the other hand were unable to synchronize with another of their kind, for them only a bond with an empath would work. For a psychic, the empath served as an anchor,  helping them not to lose themselves in their own minds, nor to succumb to their powers, and for their part the psychic served as a shield protecting them from attacks from the emotions of others. It was a win-win partnership. And the formula for a healthy connection was quite simple - the more powerful the psychic the more strongly would have to be the empath.

If it was when he was young and fighting alone to learn to protect himself from the emotional attack of other minds, Levi would not have been so reluctant to accept a bond. But after going through so much pain and triumph he no longer saw the appeal to do so voluntarily. Hence the fucking order of Erwin that landed him in the situation in which he was now.

"And how did the brat come to be here?" He ignored the woman's crazy glow, he still had questions, and would not allow her to start rambling before getting his damn answers.

"The institution where he stayed in Shiganshina decided to transfer him to Trost in the expectation that here he could find someone more suitable. Two weeks ago the word of an extremely powerful psychic came to my ears and I commented with Erwin that if we could bond him with one of ours he would be a valuable asset." - Suddenly the eyebrows forcing all the empaths under his command to form a bond with a psychic made perfect sense to Levi.

"That fucking eyebrows." - The growl escaped his lips, he should have seen something like that coming his way, the damn blond always had something hidden up his sleeve. Levi trusted the man, otherwise he would not be in the Survey Corps for so many years, but for Sina's sake, Erwin and his tactics sometimes really annoyed him. – “Just hurry up. I do not want to spend more time on it than I need to." - He grunted at last resignedly, and the smile she gave him in response was only _maniacal_.

 

\------------------------------------------//------------------------------------------

 

Whatever Levi was expecting, Eren was none of that. Green eyes like jewels, messy brown hair, caramel skin and a perfect face that would not be out of place in any model magazine. The brat was also taller than he was - _but who was not?_ The boy also seemed nervous as hell at his presence. Since he entering the room that Hanji found for them to talk - the place served as a resting place for the officials - the brat was throwing glances at him. If Eren thought he was being discreet the brunette was very much mistaken. The raven would have to teach him a few things about discretion if their possible partnership was supposed to work.

"Eren, as I had already mentioned before, we have an empath that exceeds the standard of his kind like you exceed yours. Levi here agreed to see you and see if you are compatible."  At the comment, the brat stared at him openly with a hint of _hope_ , if he was interpreting aright the emotions rolling off the boy in waves. It was difficult to correctly read the whirlwind emanating out of the thin body in front of him, but the mention of the word _compatible_ the brat's mind vibrated.

Definitely the kid had felt that Levi was different from the many empaths he'd encountered over the years, as Hanji had pointed out the two were unique among their types - _two freaks in one pod and the whole thing_. The perception was on both sides for psychics and empaths, after all if the raven realized the brat was fair to assume that the other had done the same.

"Oh, uh. Okay," the boy stammered a little and Levi felt sorry for the brat for some reason, probably his damn _empathy_.

"Levi Ackerman." - He introduced himself offering his hand for a squeeze. Contrary to popular belief, he _had_ good manners, just chose not to use them on most occasions. The boy's mood immediately brightened, a bright smile sliding across his lips. The raven completely ignored the curious look the crazy woman had given him when she saw him be polite for once without it being demanded of him. Since he would have to do that he might as well go to the end.

"Eren Jaeger," the kid replied taking his hand. And right there at that moment if there was any doubt that they were compatible or not the same evaporated, when the green of Eren's eyes was completely swallowed by gold, warm and vibrant as little suns. And it was the most beautiful thing Levi had ever seen.

Like two aberrations that were born to each other, they were _destined_ companions. Something that for years has been theorized, but never truly proven - until that moment. Vaguely Levi could hear Hanji's voice in ecstasy, though he could not care less what the crazy woman was babbling. He was too busy feeling himself swallowed by those golden orbs, reluctantly relaxing in the heat that came from their tightly clenched hands and spreading through his body to take its rightful place in some part of his chest, a part which the raven never knew was empty. Not until this brat shows up and _touches him_ and claims him without even _intending_ to do it.

Ah, Levi was so going to get revenge on the fucking eyebrows for that.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------//--------------------------------------------------------

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you are thinking about the story, your opinions are my incentive to keep writing.  
> You can find me on my Tumblr: lenoryt13.tumblr.com  
> Until the next chapter!


	2. First Contacts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a big thank you to The_Dame and marquessofthefallen for the support and beta-ing this story.
> 
> I don't own SnK/AoT

 

Eren did not know what to think. Honestly, the whole situation seemed too surreal to him. After all these years of failed attempts, he had finally formed a bond, not only with someone compatible with his power, but with the empath for which he had apparently been destined. All things considered, it was fair to say that he was feeling overwhelmed. Which was funny, because for the first time since he could remember, the buzzing that had always been in the back of his mind had silenced, not just diminished, but remained in complete silence. The brunette did not feel more out of place within his own skin. It was an unknown emotion and it would take time to get accustomed to, but if that sense of freedom was his reward, the young man was more than willing to endure any temporary discomfort that might arise.

The brunet could hardly believe that until just over an hour ago, he was feeling stupid for having accepted Doctor Hanji's invitation to meet her friend, a detective no less, who worked for the same agency as she did, the Survey Corps. Like anyone else in the country Eren knew about them, they were a special branch of the Eldia Defense Forces, and although they functioned similarly to the police, they were independent. The agency had emerged when normal police proved unable to deal adequately with situations involving the paranormal. While empaths tended to stay away from criminal activities because of the intense negative emotions these activities could generate, psychics did not suffer from such restriction, so the number of crimes committed by them was more significant than their counterparts. And that was the biggest problem faced by normal authorities; after all it was difficult to subdue someone capable of throwing objects with a single thought, or causing fires even without the intention of doing so. There was no point in having specific laws for cases involving the paranormal if there was no one who could apply them efficiently.

Growing up, Eren had always admired the agency and consequently came to aspire to be one of its agents, a desire that intensified when his life was turned upside down by the death of his mother and the sudden disappearance of his father. Unfortunately, his inability to find a suitable empath that would help him stabilize his abilities prevented the young man from achieving that dream. Something that he had given up when he reached his age of majority and still had no bond that worked. But maybe he could now, after all in just a second his whole world had changed again - this time in a positive way and everything had been because of a single person.

Even now the young man could still feel the warmth of _Levi's_ hand on his palm. The electricity that had pierced his body when they shook hands had been a most welcome surprise. To think that he had almost given up hope, giving up trying to find someone who could serve him as an anchor. A person he could trust, who would always be there to help him when his powers became too much to bear. The thought that he had finally found this someone warmed him inside. And as if attracted by a magnet, Eren found his gaze wandering once more at the man at the wheel driving them to the Rose Institute, where the brunet had been living for little more than two weeks. He knew he was being ridiculous, watching the raven almost reverently, as if the older man were some sort of unreal dream, as if he would disappear any moment - which Eren ardently hoped would not happen. But it was difficult to control himself, he had waited a long time for this. Anyway, Levi had not yet complained about the constant glances - the brunet did not doubt that he had been noticed, the young man knew he was not very good at being discreet. In addition, the detective was a real puzzle; everything about the man was different from his expectations, especially for someone of his kind.

All the empaths the young man had known in his life were visibly sensitive and open people, like that Marco boy he had met back when he was fifteen. The guy was nice, with a gentle smile. Unfortunately, the two were not compatible. It had become painfully obvious when the buzzing in his mind had not diminished as it should have and Marco began to suffer from severe headaches. The freckled boy still tried to push the situation for a week, until Eren could no longer bear to see him suffering and asked to give up. Breaking a bond in the early stages of fixation, just as theirs was, was as easy as starting one, requiring only the _will_ of both sides. And soon the brunet found himself alone again.

The brunet knew he had made the correct choice when days later it was discovered that Marco and Jean, another psychic who always tried to mess with him, were compatible. Because he was the most powerful and most in need of an empath, whenever one of them came to the institute in search of a connection, Eren was the first to be tested. And that differential treatment inevitably attracted the irritation of others of his kind, but Jean was one that antagonized him openly. The idiot had mocked the brunet the day he left the institute, even today his words still hurt. _A freak like you will never find anyone compatible_ he had said. But the horse face was wrong, because Eren had found something that was supposed to be just an unproven theory - he had a destined _partner_.

Every time he was rejected, all the pain and loneliness he faced had been for a reason - there was something better waiting for him. At least that was what Doctor Hanji had said, between laughter and squealing that bordered hysteria, when she saw the reaction that psychic and empath had displayed at the mere touch of each other. After all, no bond formed instantaneously without both sides _intending_ to do so. And Eren had never seen anything so beautiful as when Levi's eyes had shone with pure, intense silver, completely engulfing the blue of his irises. It was like seeing the moon in all its glory in the black skies the same colour as his empath’s hair. The young man had lost his breath with his vision. It was as if a missing piece suddenly fell into place, warmth blooming in his chest and silencing his mind, all at the same time.

The scene that followed their spontaneous connection had been amusing. Eren had barely managed to hold back the laughter as he watched his exasperated empath _intimidate_ the insane woman back into some semblance of self-control. Funny because Levi _should not look_ intimidating - the guy barely reached the height of brunet's nose, for the love of Sina! However Eren was certain that, short or not, Levi could still kick his butt without sweating a drop - if the little he could perceive of the other's physique was anything to go by, the detective was in very good shape. And it was in this kind of grumpy and aggressive reaction that resided part of the puzzle that was the raven.

Levi did not look friendly, hell, he did not even look like someone trying to be sociable - something that was practically the mark of an empath. His gorgeous face - please, _Eren was not blind_ \- seemed to be stuck in a perpetually bored look. Even the aura that emanated from him was not soft, but rather like a storm cloud - much like his silver-blue eyes. And despite all the outwardly unemotional looks, Eren had felt the moment when his future counterpart had entered the building. Never before had an empath affected him that way. It had been like being wrapped in a blanket, it was soft, warm and cosy - quite different from the man himself. Eren supposed that much of raven's lack of interest in socializing was related to his extreme abilities, it would be difficult to be surrounded by people when he was able to feel their emotions as if they were his own. However, it was not just the brunet who had won something in this partnership, Levi would no longer have to fight alone. Once the two shared a bond, Eren would be the shield protecting the mind of his empath against attacks. It was a pleasant feeling to know that he had a new purpose in his life, something he had not had for a long time.

Now, heading to the Institute to get his things, after nearly an hour spent between discussions and paperwork and signatures before Hanji finally let them go free, Eren began to feel insecure. Levi had made clear his displeasure about the brunet still living in the Institute and offered him a place to stay in his own home, and the young man was deeply grateful for it. He had spent most of his life in these places and he did not know how much more he could bear. The prospect of a life outside those walls was refreshing, to say the least. On the other hand, that had been the only kind of environment he'd known for eleven long years. Also, except that the older man was his destined empath and worked for the Survey Corps, Eren did not really know anything about him and the two would be living under the same roof for an indeterminate amount of time. So he had real motives for feeling insecure and _curious_ as well. That was why the brunet decided to break the strange silence that had hovered inside the car for the last few minutes.

"So how did you start working at the Survey Corps?" - Eren hoped that was a safe question to start a conversation where, hopefully, the two of them could get to know each other better.

 

\------------------------------------------//------------------------------------------

 

It had taken some threats from Levi to make shitty glasses finally stop vomiting bullshit and start working. There were many things they needed to discuss, and the first was what to do with his psychic. Heavens, he had a damn _psychic partner_ , something he never imagined having, nor did he really want. He honestly still had not been able to wrap his mind around that fact even now, and it would undoubtedly take some time before he could adjust to the situation. But the raven would do his part as a suitable empath and a sensible adult. Since the age of ten, Eren had lived in a psychic institute and for the life of him, Levi could not have imagined himself in such a place. Knowing himself, was more likely to have lost his mind. So his first course of action was to get the brat out of there, even if it meant the detective would have another addition to his house besides his bad-tempered cat. The second step would be to find out what _Eren_ wanted to do, since having a bond meant that he could lead a life as normal as a psychic of his level could have. This was not taking into consideration anything that the eyebrows might have in mind for the two of them - because Levi knew that the blonde was up to something. But before worrying about his shitty boss, he would focus on getting the brat installed in his house and figuring out how they would work with their new status as companions.

As he rearranged his priorities for the next few weeks - Levi hoped it would not take more than that to create a system that would work for both of them - he began to feel the changing in the emotions flowing from the brat sitting next to him. It was disconcerting to admit that the eyebrows had been right in saying that a psychic would relieve the weight he carried, not that the raven would ever vocalize such an admission. Erwin already had an ego the size of the whole Rose, there was no need to increase it further.

It had been a shock how his perception had changed so extremely from one moment to the next. Before the bond was formed, Levi had to make a _conscious_ effort to stop the amount of information that attacked him from the emotions of others. No matter how much self-control he had or how much experience he carried, by the end of the day when he got home, he was always exhausted - emotionally, physically and psychically. But after that handshake, after those eyes gleamed gold, it was as if the world suddenly became more serene. The raven could still perceive the touch of the waves of emotion - Hanji had been vibrating around them, which was normal for the crazy woman. However, Levi had to concentrate to really be able to define what those feelings meant. It was just the opposite of what he had faced his whole life. The only exception was the brat.

Eren's emotions had grown even sharper for him, overshadowing all the others, but they were no longer a nuisance, nor did his head ache as it had before. The brat's mind had become a presence he knew would not disappear while they were both alive - it was the function of a bond to connect two minds, something that would only intensify with coexistence. And that was another thing that would take time for him to get used to. Although the raven assumed that it would work in his favour, since that link that now united them would allow him to deal more easily with the young psychic. At this moment, this change allowed him to feel the very subtle anxiety beginning to emanate from the boy, along with a growing touch of curiosity. Still, the voice inquiring came as a surprise.

"So how did you start working on the Survey Corps?" He should have known that curiosity would prevail, the boy seemed to be the type did not hold back when he curious about something. Anyway, Levi might as well humour him by playing twenty questions, after all, it was not as if the two knew each other automatically just because they formed a bond.

"I was a fucking brat and I got caught by one of the Survey Corps agents, Erwin is his name. He's the Commander now, but he was still going up the ranks when we met. He saw my file with my record as an empath and he was surprised by my level of power and my self-control and made me a proposal: the Survey Corps or prison. I think it's kind of obvious what my choice was."

He paused to a sneak glance at the boy staring at him with wide eyes, his full attention on Levi. It was a bit disconcerting, if he were to be honest, the detective was not accustomed to receiving that kind of treatment from someone outside his department back at work. And here was this brat who lived most of his life trapped in a kind of asylum for young psychics. Someone surrounded by others of his kind watching them leave while he was staying. Having to go through hundreds of bonds without ever finding one that worked. And yet the brat was listening to his censored version of how he met the fucking eyebrows as if that were the most fascinating thing he'd ever heard. Definitely disconcerting. But not bad.

"After that, I went through an intensive version of the course at the Academy, passed the damn tests and was soon working in the department where Erwin was the boss. Six years later I'm still here." He finished his tale determined to ignore the other's enchanted gaze.

"When you say intensive version of the course, what exactly does that imply?" Ah, yes, because of everything that he had said, the brat would cling only to that, and not to the reason the eyebrows wanted to put him in jail. It was at least funny how the boy's mind worked.

"It means that instead of feeling the heat of hell for two years, I faced the flames for a year. I was already aware of the use of firearms, as well as not needing the self-defence part, so it was basically just the theoretical part."

"Why-"

"I believe it's my turn to ask," He interrupted before the boy could continue, finding it amusing to see him blush a little. _Definitely a brat_.

"Um, okay. That’s fair."

"Of course it is. What exactly are your abilities? I need to know what to expect since we're going to live together." This was something that he was concerned about. Hanji had said that Eren was more powerful than any other psychic who had ever been registered, but did not specify _what_ the brat could do.

Levi had been serious when he asked Hanji if the boy was not some kind of Poltergeist. He needed to know if he should hide the sharp objects every time the boy lost his shit, or if he would need a fire extinguisher and stuff like that. When dealing with psychics, almost every kind of absurdity was possible. He had broken a pair of ribs once during a murder case because the guilty psychic had cast a damn bronze statue on him using psychokinesis - not that the bastard actually managed to escape. And if the criminal in question lost some teeth and had some fractures, well, the person who dealt with that legal shit was Erwin, so the raven could not care less. But after that, every time there was a psychic involved in his cases he made a point of finding out what skills they had before he acted. It was from difficult experiences that his need for knowledge came. And apparently the brat was not so ignorant of the nature of his question, for he promptly replied.

"Levitation of objects, extra-sensory perception if I concentrate, type auras and spectres, I can see things when I touch objects, sometimes works with people too, again only if I concentrate hard. I can do everything a little, I think. I just don’t know if something is going to change now with the bond. My only exception is pyrokinesis, and frankly, I'm relieved." - At Levi's inquiring look he elaborates his response - "I met a girl about three years after being in the institute, she could set fire to anything. It was scary, especially because she could not control herself. Many were the nights we woke up to the fire alarm. The irony is that she ended up with a fire-fighter as an empath."

"Huh. So I do not need to add a fire extinguisher to the grocery shopping list. That's good to know." The comment earned him a laugh that sounded quite pleasant, one he realized he would not mind hearing more often. It was, after all, far better than the crazy howls of the shitty glasses.

"My turn. Doctor Hanji said you were a detective, but she did not specify your department."

"We've handled a bit of everything in the agency, but you could say that I work in the homicide division. And you do not have to call her a doctor, that would mean she was a sane person, which I suppose you realized she is not."

"Well, she seemed pretty nice, if a little intense." Levi had to mock that comment.

"That's because you've only met her recently, you'll realize that madness has a mouth that never quiets and wears glasses." That earned him _another laugh_ , more vibrant than the previous one. And Erwin insisted that the raven had no sense of humour.

"Isn’t that a little... Complicated? I mean, why did you choose this department even though you are an empath?" There was the question that he had imagined would come sooner or later. His work was not a walk in the park. It was bloody, violent, and involved people in mourning and other negative feelings. In short, this was something that someone with his abilities would usually avoid at all costs, but Levi never ran away from a challenge, moreover...

"I like the idea of bringing justice to those who cannot do it with their own strength." And that was the truth, the real reason why he still worked under Erwin, and was grateful to the blonde for giving him the chance to make something of his life worthwhile.

“I can understand that feeling. My mother died when I was a child. They never really figured out what happened to her, and I never really found closure. I think that's why I wanted so badly to be part of the Survey Corps." Having heard about the brat's situation from Hanji, the raven knew that Eren could well understand the pain of those who were unable to find justice. Yet this was an answer he had not expected, there were not many people who aspired to such a profession. Perhaps there was in fact more for the two to be destined partners than just the strength of their abilities.

"There's nothing stopping you from joining the agency now that we share a bond. That is, if you have the necessary determination. In addition, with such a powerful psychic interested in the Agency, there is no way Erwin will let this opportunity pass. He'll probably try to make you an honorary member or some shit like that." Levi knew that the blonde had already begun to move, forcing him to find a psychic partner no doubt had been the first of many steps that the eyebrows planned.

"I'm definitely going to do this." If the unshakable look on the brat's face meant anything, determination would not be lacking.

"Not bad." Maybe this partnership was not so bad after all.

After that the tone of the next few questions became lighter, addressing more superficial information like things that they liked or not, nothing very serious. And almost before Levi realized it, they had already arrived at the Institute. At the reception desk there were more papers for him to sign while the brat went to gather his belongings. Eren had assured him there were relatively few things, only basic things like clothes, toiletries and some photos he kept in an album. And once again the raven found himself remembering his own past, when Erwin met him and challenged him to do more with his life than to be a criminal. Back then all he had was a handful of clothes in a tiny, but very clean, apartment in a shitty neighbourhood. Seeing someone else sum up a life in a few cardboard boxes and a backpack was depressing. The only silver lining was knowing that this part of the boy's life would be closed - as had happened to the detective's own past, six years before, and a new life would begin for both. A new beginning that no one was quite sure what it would bring or what to expect, only that neither of them would be facing this alone.

It was as good a start as any, Levi guessed.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------//--------------------------------------------------------

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you are thinking about the story, your opinions are my incentive to keep writing.  
> You can find me on my Tumblr: lenoryt13.tumblr.com  
> Until the next chapter!


	3. New Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not beta-ed yet, when my betas do I'll post the corrected version. I hope my mistakes do not prevent you from having a pleasant reading.

 

The first thing Eren noticed about Levi's house was that everything was very clean, as in _really_ clean. The place was almost sterile, though for some reason it did not smell like cleaning products. The second thing the young man noticed about his temporary home came in the form of a fur packet's sitting quietly on the counter in the kitchen, staring at them as if they were the only ones invading its territory.

"Oi, Rogue, get your ass outta there! How many times have I told you to stay away from the damn countertop?" - Levi growled, shooing the ginger cat. The raven began cleaning the entire countertop with some product that smelled like lemons, which he picked up from one of the cabinets in the kitchen, while complaining about stubborn fur mops.

"So you're a cat person," commented the brunet, dropping his stuff by the door with the intention of approaching the cat, only to be greeted by an unfriendly hiss before even taking two steps toward the feline.

"Don't try this, it is a bastard who bites or scratches whenever it does not like something. Let it come to you." - Levi warned as if guessing his thoughts. That at least explained the cat's unusual name. - "And it's more like I had no choice but to stay with it. The little shit showed up on my porch every morning for two weeks. It was filthy, slim and with a broken leg, yet it did not give up without a fight when I decided to take it to the vet. Vicious thing tore the sleeve of a shirt mine while struggling."

"It seems to fit with you." - The comment earned him a sharp glow that reminded him very much of the look he had received from the cat in question moments before. Yes, they definitely fit together.

Giving up trying to be friends with the grumpy feline, Eren let his gaze wander a little, watching the surroundings. Levi had previously mentioned that he lived alone and had only bought the house, even though it had two bedrooms, because both the neighbourhood and the value made up for the extra space, that would now be Eren's room. The house was not very large, the living room and kitchen were separated only by an open hallway. The white floor glittered and the walls were a pleasant shade of blue. There were no photos in sight or decorations, but books occupied the shelves that covered an entire wall in the living room. Oddly enough there were some cat toys, including a bed, on the opposite side of the room vying for space with inviting looking sofas and a television. Everything was neat and tidy, there was nothing expansive even among the items in the kitchen, it was pretty obvious that the furniture had been bought because of its use. Everything in the place fit perfectly with its owner.

Suddenly the fact that he would no longer return to the institute, but instead would live in this house seemed to finally sink into his brain. And along with the insecurity that came with a new experience the thrill of freedom, which he thought he could not conquer, flooded his chest. He knew he was practically vibrating with energy and that this was probably not very pleasant for Levi, considering his status as an empath. But Eren simply could not suffocate the feelings flowing inside him; the brunet only hoped that the raven did not get angry. But considering that the detective had yet to show open displeasure to him, the young psychic thought that he had not yet crossed any of the limits that the older man might have.

 "Oi, Eren, bring your things." - Levi's voice dragged him out of his thoughts, and he hurried to pick up the boxes and the backpack and follow the raven waiting for him at the other end of the hall. - "The middle door is the bathroom and this will be your room. Here have a small closet where I usually keep the cleaning equipment, but I suppose it will be for you to pack your belongings once I empty it." - Commented the raven opening the door to the left of the three.

"It's ok for me, I do not have much. I've never really seen the point of accumulating anything, considering that I had nowhere to put them." - He replied entering the place.

As expected the room was perfectly clean, also slightly larger than his room back in the institute. The furniture was just the closet Levi had mentioned and a plain bed by the window. Putting his things on the floor by the door, Eren found himself wondering why his empath had an extra bed when he obviously did not look like the guy who liked to get visitors, let alone the visitor who came to spend the night.

"Uhn, Levi, why the extra bed?" - As soon as the question left his lips, Eren felt stupid. Several were at times when he was warned that he spoke and acted without thinking. Equally several were at times when such an attitude rendered him problems or left him in some embarrassing situation, as at that moment. - "It's just that you said that you lived alone and you do not look like the kind to get visitors, so I just kept thinking..." - He found himself babbling in an attempt to justify the abruptness of the question.

"Oh, that. It was Hanji's." - The raven replied by casting a glance at the piece of furniture, seeming indifferent to the strange question to the brunet's relief.

"From Hanji? Did she live here?" - He asked lightly confused, following Levi's movements as he left the room across the hallway and into the room in front of his that the young man imagined was the other's room.

"God, no!" The answer came quickly from the other room. - "Even though working so close to the center, the idiot lived on the other side of the city and it took a long time to get from the research building to the apartment, so she spent most of time without going home. When I started working at the Survey Corps, she was practically living in her office." - Levi continued back into the bedroom carrying bedding and handing them to Eren, then starting to move in the closet. - "She eventually discovered that I lived near the headquarters and one day she simply invited herself to stay here. Damn four eyes kept complaining about having to sleep on the sofa. As if I had an obligation to give her my bed." - The raven complained, sounding clearly offended by the idea.

"Somehow I can easily imagine it." - Commented the brunet, taking care to spread the clean sheet on the bed, listening to Levi mock something that sounded suspicious with _this is shit glasses for you_ , while leaving the room carrying a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a broom and mop in the other.

After witnessing the two discussing, Eren could imagine them fighting and had difficulty holding the laughter with the mental image. He wished he had seen one of these visits, with the hyperactive woman complaining and laughing his extravagant laughter and his exasperated empath grunting curses and threats, which the psychic supposed were mostly empty. After all, despite the way Levi referred to Hanji, it was fairly easy to see that they were close friends, even though they made a rather odd pair. As he let his imagination run wild, the brunet had already finished with the sheet when the raven's voice warned him of his return.

"One day I came home to find out that the crazy woman had bought a bed for the extra room." - Continued his tale leaning against the doorframe and facing the furniture in question - "For almost three months I had to put up with her crazy ass showing up here whenever she was too tired, or just too lazy to leave. It was Moblit, her assistant, who finally convinced her to move to an apartment closer to work. As the new place was furnished she left the bed here as payment for lodging." - He mumbled at last sounding exasperated, and Eren cannot help a smile of amusement to spread by his lips.

"Sounds like you two are good friends." The brunet found himself commenting, while a memory of his own friends shone in his mind. How he lost Armin and Mikasa.

"Tch. Why instead of talking bullshit, you're going to take a shower while I finish packing here and then I make dinner." The raven suggested with an annoyed look. Eren realized that the empath did _not deny_ that he and Hanji were indeed good friends, something that drew a small smile.

"I can make dinner if you want," offered the young psychic, it was the least he could do to repay the detective who welcomed him into his own home.

"You know how to cook?" Levi asked, a slender eyebrow raising a little closer to his silky black hair.

"Yes. Back in Shiganshina we had extra activities to help control our powers and lighten our minds. Most of them did meditation, but I could not be quiet enough for that. I ended up choosing cooking classes. It was strangely relaxing and after a while, I ended up getting really good at cooking." His cooking was one of the few things he was proud of. It was something he remembered doing a few times with his mother when he was little. Maybe that was why he found such a nice activity; it was his way of clinging to one of his memories with her.

"Hoh. That's something I'll decide when to prove it."

"Are you giving me your permission?"

"Ah. Just do not make a mess."

"I promise not to make a fuss."

"If you do, you'll be the one to clean it up," The raven reiterated, and the brunet promised himself that he would redouble his efforts to make sure everything was to the empath's liking. - "Pans are in the cabinet under the sink, cutlery in the drawers. Groceries and seasonings are in the cabinet on the far left, there are also greens and meat in the refrigerator. If you don't find something, just ask."

"Okay," He agreed, already moving into the kitchen determined to prepare something tasty for the detective.

 

\------------------------------------------//------------------------------------------

 

Just over an hour after arriving home, Levi found himself sitting down for dinner. Honestly the empath could not remember when it was the last time someone cooked for him. The only time Hanji invaded his kitchen and almost set fire to the damn _stove_ he was more inclined to consider an attack on his life than cooking itself. Not to mention the eyebrows and his tasteless food, how the blond could survive eating something that seemed to come straight from the kitchen of a hospital was beyond him. However, when Eren had earlier offered to prepare the dinner sounding lively and confident, the raven decided to give in to his curiosity. In worst scenario he would have to improvise himself something for them to eat. But if the pleasant scent that had invaded the house for the last few minutes was a sign, besides the clear lack of fire, perhaps the boy had learned something useful living in that miserable place. It also helped that his kitchen did not look like a war field; something he confirmed shortly after leaving the bath and Eren announced that he had finished the food.

Levi poured himself a reasonable portion of the scented and good-looking food; there were few simple dishes, some vegetables with meat to accompany the rice and potatoes. He was aware of the brat watching his every move with an increasing dose of anxiety; it was obvious that his approval mattered to the boy. The first bite of the food proved surprisingly pleasing to his palate, and he would have let a whimper escape to the taste had it not been for his self-control.

"Not bad." He let the boy know his opinion, and the wave of joy and pride that washed over the brat was as clear to the raven as the sigh of relief the psychic released before he also began to eat.

They dined in a comfortable silence, each savouring their food and Levi found himself enjoying the atmosphere more than he imagined he could, considering how many years he lived alone. Something that would have stayed the same if the shit eyebrows had not decided to mess with the raven's life. It was still strange as hell that he had a bond with a psychic, and that he would be living with him for an indefinite period of time, but what was done was done. From early on Levi had learned not to dwell on things he could not change or to have avoided - living in remorse was not really living, it was bitter about events that no one could have foreseen or prevented.

Once dinner was over Eren stood up and began to pick up the dishes, it seemed that the brat had taken his warning about cleaning quite seriously - which pleased the raven immensely - but Levi stopped him, it was only fair that he cleaned the dishes when the other had been the one to cook without making a mess. He could feel the boy's reluctance, clearly the psychic wanted to make himself useful and to please him. However, the detective kept his house always as immaculate as humanly possible, which meant that there was not much to do except for the days he separated to clean and wash his clothes. Also, cleanliness was for Levi what cooking seemed to be for Eren - a way to ease the mind. And that was something he needed, a time to organize his thoughts, especially now that the only emotions that affected him were of his psychic - a new, strange, but pleasant experience.

"You'll have other chances to wash the dishes, now go do something you want. Go watch some television or read a book. I guess you did not have such freedoms back where you lived." - And with that he dismissed any possible argument the brat might have, because he could _feel_ that the boy had one.

Eren gave him a hesitant glance, shifting from foot to foot before finally giving up and heading for the living room, the sound of the television popping up a moment later. Once alone, Levi turned to the simple task of washing dishes and storing the leftovers in the refrigerator, his mind falling into a comfortable, familiar limbo, broken only by Rogue requiring food, but that was already part of his routine.

Sometime later, after finishing cleaning the kitchen, he found himself sharing the larger couch with Eren and watching what appeared to be a documentary about archaeology, of all things. The raven was aware that there was a report he owed to the eyebrows, but he was determined to ignore the annoying document. Erwin could squeak all that the blonde wanted on the damn paperwork, that the empath could not care less about, if anything the taller man should be grateful that Levi had decided not to rip out his damn eyebrows in return for wrapping him in more one of his tricks. As if to think in the commander was a suggestion, the detective heard the ringing of his phone while the device vibrated in his pocket. It was not a call but a message. The blonde knew that Levi would most likely hang up in his face than actually listen to whatever shit he had to say. Although he doubted it was an emergency, the empath still checked what his annoying boss wanted.

**Commander eyebrows:**

Congratulations on your successful link.

Bring Eren with you tomorrow. We need to talk.

Of course Erwin already knew about his bond, shit glasses not even expected them to leave the building before going to vomit about the success that was his bond to their commander. Honestly he was surprised that the crazy woman had even agreed to release them without schedule an appointment for her to be able to use him and his psychic as test guinea pigs. Barely the thought flashed through his mind and the screen of the cell phone lit up again.

**Commander eyebrows:**

Hanji asked permission to conduct some tests.

_Damn shit glasses and damn eyebrows_. It was clear that the two were plotting behind their backs. And it was quite obvious that Erwin expected him to agree to whatever crazy experiments Hanji had planned and the tall man would undoubtedly try to persuade _Eren_ to do them too. Worse still, the eyebrows were waiting for _him_ to persuade the boy to accept. The raven must have made some noise or something else that showed his displeasure, because he could feel both the look of the brat on him and the curiosity emanating from him.

"Erwin wants you to come with me to the office tomorrow. In addition, Hanji wants to do some testing." - He clarified, his eyes finding the beautiful green orbs. - "You do not have to agree to the tests, Hanji needs to learn to keep her hands and ideas crazy to herself." - He added feeling the need to clarify his point of view about the whole thing the boy's history and his conversation with the shit glasses were still quite fresh in his mind.

It was important that Eren realized that he _had a choice_. Having a bond meant that the brat no longer needed to go through all the stresses that came with being a psychic alone, they were partners for better or worse. And now that Levi was his empath he would be sure that no one would use the boy as a guinea pig simply because he did good study material. Psychic or not the brat was first and foremost human.

"Erwin is the Commander of the Survey Corps, right?" - Of all he said _that_ was what caught the brat's attention. Again the raven found himself questioning how the mind of the psychic worked, though he supposed it made sense considering that the boy had admitted interest in being a part of the agency.

"Yes. I knew this would happen sooner or later, after all it is standard when an empath or psychic of the agency forms a bond." - Although the eyebrows seemed to be quite eager to get his claws on the brat.

Usually one would expect to spend the first three days after a bond was formed, which time it took to stabilize a bond, before registering the new agent status. It was a way of ensuring that there would be no problems or rejection among peers, although they were rare occurrences and only happened when there was no compatibility between the partners. Levi knew that he and Eren were a rare case - a spontaneous bond had never been recorded before, theorized but unproven - the raven still imagined that Erwin would wait for the brat to settle down a little before attempting to drag him into the agency. And that only made him wonder what the blonde had up his sleeve for them.

"Do you think he wants me to join you?" The young psychic asked, his green eyes shining.

At times like this Levi was sure that even though he was not an empath capable of feeling the emotions of others and _reading_ the information they provided, he would still be able to understand Eren's feelings with ease. The boy's eyes were too expressive. And how someone as straightforward and _naive_ as Eren ended up as his destined psychic was a matter for which he would probably never find the answer.

"As I said before, Erwin is always interested in powerful paranormal." - And in all else that could help get the job done, but the boy did not need to know, not yet anyway. If he began interact with the eyebrows the brat would eventually realize such a feature.

"I want to be able to help and if my powers can be useful then it's okay with me. The same goes for the tests. I don't really care; I've been through a lot of them so it's kind of normal for me." - He replied with a shrug.

He should know that would be the brat's response, yet he did not like the indifferent way the boy dealt with being used as a laboratory rat. Levi wondered if this was the result of being experienced by his own father, and made a mental note to hunt down Grisha and give him a good lecture in the best _Ackerman_ style - one that would make his shit uncle proud as hell.

"It still does not mean you have to agree with all the crazy things Hanji decides she wants to test. Remember that you are not a laboratory rat." - one day he would be sure the brat would notice it.

"Uhn, okay."

"Good. We leave home at seven-thirty, I like to arrive early, and I imagine that Erwin wants to resolve anything he has in mind as soon as possible. Besides, Hanji tends to get crazier as the day progresses." - His last comment got a laugh in response.

After that the conversation stopped, and Rogue decided appear demanding attention, jumping over the back of the couch and scaring Eren, who ended up gaining a bitten finger as he tried to stroke the grumpy cat again. So much for warning him not to approach the cat. Deciding that he already had enough of social interaction for one day, Levi retired to his room choosing to read a few more chapters of the book he had started over the weekend - still ignoring the report. He was grudging against the eyebrows, and if delaying the man's work was the best he could do to annoy him, then so be it.

He was in the middle of the chapter when the living room became silent and he heard a door open, followed by the revealing sound of the shower. Sometime later it was the turn of the bedroom door that now belonged to the brat to open, but not close. He vaguely wondered if he should warn Eren about the possibility of Rogue visiting him at night. The damn cat tended to wander the house late at night. In the end he decided that the boy would have to learn certain things on his own. The most that could happen was the psychic gains some scratches or another bitten finger.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------//--------------------------------------------------------

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you are thinking about the story, your opinions are my incentive to keep writing.  
> You can find me on my Tumblr: lenoryt13.tumblr.com  
> Until the next chapter!


	4. First Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long time since I last updated this story, unfortunately real life happened. I could make a list of everything that stopped me from writing, but the simple truth is that my time has been short. Anyway, I did not give up my stories here in the site and I ask that you don't stop to read them.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter has not been beta-ed yet so have patience with my mistakes, when my betas send me the corrected version I'll post it. I hope my mistakes do not prevent you from having a pleasant reading.

Sleeping a full night had always been a problem for Levi as long as he could remember his mind was never able to completely suppress the emotional waves around him, which inevitably reflected on his own rest. At most he could sleep for four hours at a time. He spent his days driven by caffeine and small naps when his mind was too lethargic. It was a routine he had lived with since his Uncle Kenny had presented him with coffee. He was eleven when the man decided that having a half-awake little brat for most of the day was more of a nuisance than his time was worth. Levi supposed he should be grateful that his damn uncle had waited until he was a pre-adolescent before vitiating him in the dark-toned and strong-tasting drink. It was because of his record of countless sleepless nights that when his eyes blinked open to find light beginning to penetrate the curtains of the window and illuminate his room, he sat up with a slight start.

The clock on his cell phone screen showed six hours and thirty minutes. It took a moment for his brain to process the new information, but when it did the raven could not help the wave of surprise that crossed him - one that was _really_ his and not something else. He had slept for six uninterrupted hours, something that had not happened to him since before his mother passed away. Levi was not foolish, he knew that the feeling rested both in his mind and in his body could only be the fruit of his newly formed bond. Honestly he did not know what to do with such information - Hanji would probably get even more insane than she already was if she knew that. Thinking about the shitty glasses reminded him that both she and the eyebrows were waiting for him and his psychic to agree to do some testing.

 _His psychic_ \- he wondered if thought would ever cease to be strange. Talking about the boy he could feel his mind active, which meant the brat was awake - he had woken up _before_ Levi. Not a good example, but the raven never gave a shit about it, so that was fine. Dragging himself out of his bed and into the hallway he was greeted by the smell of freshly coffee and something familiar, though he could not tell for sure what the brat was cooking. Deciding that hygiene came first he headed for the toilet after emptying his bladder slipped over the hot water spray. The heat relaxing even more his muscles was a wonderful sensation and he found himself getting on the nice spray just enjoying the new _silence_ wrapping his mind. A few minutes later, and definitely more awake, he found himself staring at the mirror above the sink.

A life of empath-induced insomnia had resulted in perpetual dark circles and pale skin even more pale. But the person staring at him in the reflection did not seem as worn as usual. For once Levi looked like someone _rested_. The dark circles were still there and the pallor too, it would take much more than a single night's well sleep to change that, but his eyes had a different glow, energetic he would say. The raven _felt_ cheered up. He could also _see_ the look of pride that would come into the blue eyes of the damn eyebrows when he saw him in about an hour. The thought was reminder enough to bring his usual bored expression back to his face.

Leaving the bathroom and back to his room, he dressed in his standard work style, a black suit with a white shirt and a white cravat around his neck instead of the traditional tie, the Survey Corps badge, a pair of white and blue overlapping wings, he left it strapped to his belt where he always carried it. Stockings on his feet, plus a pair of clean, well-polished shoes that were waiting for him at the exit door, and he was ready to start the day.

He found Eren in front of the stove, wearing dark jeans and a green shirt, wearing one of his aprons, a blue one with white polka dots - Hanji could burst into laughter anything she wanted, but the piece of cloth was useful in keeping the dirt away from the clean clothes, and the psychic seemed to agree since he wore one. The brat had a spatula in his hand turning what he perceived to be pancakes, and now the familiar scent of earlier made perfect sense. There were two portions of the food arranged on plates on the table arranged with two cups, cutlery and maple syrup. He also noticed the cat licking itself quietly on a corner of the rug next to the kitchen sink, feline and psychic looking strangely content despite the thorny beginning of the previous night. It was such a damn _domestic_ scene, and the traitorous thought that he _could get used to this_ had him freezing halfway, not knowing where such an _absurd_ idea had come from. Because there was no way to him to live almost all his life alone, without this being an annoyance - on the contrary, Levi was very fond of his lifestyle - and after only a few hours in the presence of a psychic - _his psychic_ \- he was having such a sudden change in his thinking. It was just ridiculous, and _maybe_ , if the raven wanted to admit it or not, a bit intimidating.

"Ah, Levi, good morning! I woke up early for fear of being late and thought I might make breakfast. I did not know what you liked to eat, but who does not like pancakes? And as I found maple syrup I figured it was a good idea."

It took a moment for the raven realize the nervous energy emanating from the brat, but when he finally noticed the detective soon realized that he himself was the cause. Levi supposed he made a strange vision, frozen in the middle of the kitchen staring at the boy on the stove and giving no sign that he recognized him. No doubt his lack of reaction was putting the psychic on the edge. And it seemed Eren tended to ramble when anxious or nervous about something - as he noted in the short time they were together. The brat's babbling, added to the waves eager emanating from him, brought Levi back to his senses.

"You don't have to cook the entire time brat. But yeah, I like pancakes." - he finally replied heading for the coffeepot, throwing the _absurd_ thoughts to some obscure spot in his mind where he used to lodge everything he intended to continue to ignore for as long as possible, something in which he was an expert.

He could almost _hear_ Erwin and his annoying speeches about not being healthy for an empath stay suppressing his feelings, and for all that mattered to him the blonde and his _advices_ could go fuck himself. After all what did the eyebrows know about dealing with emotions? No shit that was it. Levi was _born_ dealing with this, if there was anyone who understood the crap it was to live with that constant intrusion into his mind was him. So what if the raven avoided dealing with his own emotions? To suppress them was easier than dealing with the consequences of giving in to them. He already had to deal with the others' emotions. So what if it affected his non-existent social life? He was a damn detective for Sina's love, his job involved _interacting_ with people - even if many of them technically were no longer alive. Besides, he had the brat now, even if _this_ was due to his Commander eyebrows. Not that he intended to approach such a subject with the blonde; Erwin did not need to raise his ego any further.

"It's okay, I like to cook and I'm good at it." There was pride shining in those jeweled eyes. - "Unless, of course, you do not want to me..." - The insecurity was beginning to emanate from the boy, and the raven found himself resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

It was becoming clear to Levi that Eren was not someone whose self-esteem was too high; he doubted there was anything more behind his pride in his culinary skills than childlike joy. The damned brat _emanated_ innocence and insecurity; and the raven wondered how much of that was the boy's, and how much had been gained from his years in that psychic asylum. For some reason he found his thoughts wandering more and more to Grisha _shitty-father_ Jaeger. One way or another he had the uncomfortable feeling that whatever happened to his psychic was the man's fault. He reinforced his mental note to hunt down the doctor and find out all the skeletons he could hide in his basement. He just had to be careful not to involve the brat in this, the raven wanted to confront the doctor without any interference, and preferably without causing even more discomfort to his psychic. The boy deserved a break after being abandoned by the man.

"I do not care that you cook, just keep in mind that you are not required to do it always. It may not look like it, but I also know how to cook."

"Like I said I like to cook." - The brat insisted with a smile.

"Do as you like, just make sure the kitchen does not turn into a filthy mess." There was no point in arguing when the boy was so stubborn, and it was not like it was a bad deal for him to eat something that was made by another person, especially when it was tasty.

"So, are you good at cooking?" Eren asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting in front of his own little pile of pancakes.

"I certainly did not starve, and I did not burn the damn stove, either." The raven replied as he watched the brat to drown his pancakes with maple syrup.

"Fire at the stove? Is that even possible?" The brunet asked a piece of pancake halfway to his mouth.

"There's a reason I forbid shitty glasses to get anywhere near my kitchen." His comment ripped out a psychic's laugh, it was the same melodious sound he heard the day before and he definitely liked it.

"Is it bad that I can easily imagine such a scene? Although, how did she get this without being a psychic?"

"Thank heavens that the crazy woman did not possess any paranormal ability, without that shitty glasses is already chaos wearing a lab coat. If she possessed anything remotely resembling psychic abilities, it would be a recipe for complete destruction." In a way, the same could apply to the eyebrows.

Erwin with powers of an empath would be terrifying. Without them the man was already terrifying, with the ability to read and to some extent manipulate the other's emotions the blond would be unstoppable. High-ranking pigs would never know what hit them with the speed of a bullet train. Honestly the raven was perfectly happy without having to figure out how his Commander would be with a fifth of his own abilities, or Hanji with psychic powers.

"The only skill Hanji has comes down to her job, apart from that she's a mess." He added, biting a piece of his pancake with a fairly moderate amount of maple syrup, and deciding that in fact the brat was good at cooking.

"Who taught you to cook?" - It seemed that the quiz of the previous day would start again, not that it would be a bad thing if it took both to get to know better, it was just that the raven not had a habit of talking too much out of his job.

"My uncle taught me the basics, after that it was only natural to perfect something that was useful to someone who lived alone and did not like bought food."

Kenny might be a black-hearted bastard, but if it were not for the man to take him under his wing after his mother's death and teach him how to survive, Levi knew he would hardly have lived beyond his eighth year of life. His biological father would gladly have let him rot in the basement - where he hid from society the existence of his bastard son after his lover's death - if his mother's brother had not appeared and decided that his sister's offspring was worth something. Growing up the raven had mixed feelings about his uncle, even now adult and more than a decade without seeing the man's face, he still did not know if he was grateful or angry with his only living relative - his father had suffered a rather painful death around the same time his uncle had appeared in his life. The responsible had never been arrested, but Kenny had a vengeance look on his face for weeks after that. Knowing the fame of man did not have to be a genius to connect the dots, but the detective never took the initiative to arrest who created him, would be a rather poor way to return the favour received. Sometimes he wondered what his uncle would say if he knew that the raven now worked for the law rather than the opposite, not that the man's opinion mattered, but it would still be worth it to see his expression.

After that the questions were confined to what each one was able to cook, and what kinds of spices went best with what kind of food. Although not particularly a fan of conversations, Levi found quite relaxing such activity with the animated brat. Because of this it was with a lighter mood than usual that the empath left his home to the headquarters of Survey Corps. Not that his mood was to remain so for a long time considering his _schedule of appointments_ for the day.

 

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Eren was not sure if he was nervous, anxious or a mixture of both. Despite being in a new and unfamiliar environment, he slept relatively well, most likely by the strangely soothing presence of his empath - no doubt he could get used to it. The brunet just did not expect to wake up early in the morning for a surprise visit from Rogue - Levi's grumpy cat. It had been only years of trying to tame his abilities that prevented him from hurling the feline against the wall on the other side of the room due to the scare of having the furball jump over him. Hurting someone's pet was a terrible way to start a relationship, which is why he found himself releasing a sigh of relief after gently putting the feline to the ground using his skills - he did not want to repeat the experience of getting another finger bitten. Once he was awake the brunet doubted that he would be able to go back to sleep, and if he did it the chances of being late would be too big for him to risk. For this reason the young psychic had decided to start his day earlier than usual and had taken the extra time to prepare breakfast to the best of his ability. It was good to cook for someone, especially considering that Levi seemed to enjoy his food.

The strange domesticity of everything had helped to calm his mind, but once the detective had started the car the mixture of feelings had come back. Since he was little he had accompanied everything he could about the Survey Corps - access to the internet and everything else was quite controlled back at the Institute - his dream for adulthood had been to become a part of that Agency. And after having lost all hope Levi had come into his life, and in less than twenty-four hours his world had taken a hundred and eighty degrees turn, and now he was about to know not just the headquarters of Survey Corps as also its Commander. If he were to be honest it was all a bit overwhelming to him.

"Oi, brat, if you want to give a shit you better hurry up, because I'm not stopping on the way." The empath's rather crude remark was enough to draw him out of his nervous bubble.

"I, um, I'm fine." The brunet answered with a small laugh. The raven stared at him for a moment and Eren was sure that the man was analysing his emotions, whatever he found his answer was to take the car out of the garage and drive them toward the city center.

In the midst of his anxiety Eren had forgotten that Levi could literally _feel_ his emotions and this should be disturbing the man. The fact that the detective had not rubbed it in his face and instead tried to distract him, even in a rather _unusual_ way, had the young man feel a small smile emerging on his lips. Trying to keep his mind occupied with things other than his brief meeting to happen, the brunet decided to continue the stranger line of conversation initiated by the detective.

"Why would not you stop on the way if necessary?" This earned him a blank look empath's.

"Have you seen the state of the public toilets?" It took Eren a moment to understand what the other had said, but when he did, he had to hold a chuckle.  He should have expected this kind of response considering the state of cleaning of the detective's house, his aversion to dirt was becoming quite obvious.

"But what if it was an emergency? Would you still not stop and use them?"

Eren knew he was risking his comments considering they barely knew each other, but from the little that they had already spoken the psychic had the feeling that it would take more than a friendly tease to really irritate the lower man - Hanji _was_ the best friend of the empath and the hyperactive woman was still in one piece, which spoke volumes of Levi's tolerance. In addition, it was refreshing to be able to express himself freely. Back at the Institute the brunet was always feeling the pressure of not getting a bond, beyond the weight of the speculative glances of everyone around him. It was probable that the detective had no idea how much Eren was grateful that the man had entered into his life, but the young psychic would do his best to show his gratitude. Although that would not stop him from venturing a little in testing the mood of the other.

As expected the detective gave him a sharp look, as if evaluating the seriousness of his question - and not finding much of it. Yet an answer came.

"Do not get brainy ideas, or I'll make you go all the way back on foot." Despite the threat there was not much bite behind the words and the brunet found his smile increasing, especially as the empath returned his gaze to the road murmuring about filthy toilets and how people in their wits could use them.

Feeling more relaxed, the brunet settled in to take advantage of the short trip now that his nervousness was more about his control, so the Levi’s next words caught him by surprise.

"Now that you have a bond and are free to chase after any dreams you may have, what do you intend to do? Something besides the Survey Corps." - Added the raven, and Eren felt his chest warm as he realized that his empath seemed to have no doubt that the brunet could be a part of such an Agency.

Dreams... Eren had many of them when his mother was still alive and they were a family. After her death and the disappearance of his father and with him being thrown into an institution for people with abilities psychic, the brunet had seen each and every one of his dreams undo like a sand castle swallowed by the sea. And that was something he'd always wanted and had not gotten. His mother never had the chance to take him to the beach on their vacation. It was such a _childish_ dream, yet he found himself vocalizing it.

"I'd like to see the sea." Yes, he can never do that with his beloved mother, but it was still something he wanted and now he _could_.

Whatever the raven had expected to come out of his mouth had certainly not been there was still no judgment in the look he threw at him. Curiosity maybe, but not judgment. It was difficult enough to read his humor since his beautiful face was not expressive. Something that still surprised the brunet, considering all the empaths he had known, Levi was so far from standard that if it had not been for him to have felt the short man's presence in the lab when they first met, Eren would never have imagined that the detective had such abilities. And that was just one more trait that made him so interesting to the young psychic.

"Shiganshina is not near the shore so you would have to leave the city to go to the beach. I guess that would not sit well with the Institute." It was his response instead of providing any kind of opinion on the subject, and that was good enough Eren guessed, he was really tired of being judged by everyone.

"Actually I've never seen the sea. My mother had promised to take me during my school holidays, but she never got the chance." Eren did not want the conversation to be smothered by his past, remembering his mother tended to give him a bitter taste in his mouth, so he hastened to add - "And you, did you ever go to the beach?" - As soon as the words left his lips Eren felt a little foolish, the empath's response only worsened the feeling.

"Do I look like the kind who appreciates strong sunshine, plus salt and sand everywhere?"

It was the first time he felt a real bite behind the man's words, but Eren supposed that for someone who loved cleanliness as Levi seemed to love, the beach should be a kind of nightmare. In addition, considering the natural pallor of his skin, the strong sun would undoubtedly hurt him more than Eren himself, who had a more darker tint. It was ironic that between the two the psychic, who had never seen the sea, was the one who really seemed to live in a beach town.

"But, yes, I already went to the beach." - Continued the detective in an annoyed tone. - "Two years ago there was a homicide where the body was dumped at sea and ended up stranding in the sand when the tide went down. It was shit to gather evidence and drive away the curious. The media was a pain to deal with, and even Erwin was losing his temper because of it."

This was no doubt a terrible way to have a first contact with anything. He only hoped that his first encounter with such an immensity of water would be happier. The brunet did not have much time to dwell on such thoughts, for soon the Survey Corps' building came into view and with it his wandering emotions, that the psychic hastened to try to calm down - it was the least he could do to not disturb the detective. Yet Eren could not avoid the spark of anticipation that came to life in his chest as he found himself crossing the parking lot toward the entrance of the building side by side with his empath. It was almost like being in one of his childhood dreams, one that he had stopped longing for; yet Levi was very real, like everything else that had come along with him.

 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you are thinking about the story, your opinions are my incentive to keep writing.  
> You can find me on my Tumblr: lenoryt13.tumblr.com  
> Until the next chapter!


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